OHIO: House Republicans delay a controversial bill to freeze the state’s renewable energy and efficiency law, saying they lack the votes to pass it; meanwhile, a coalition of consumer, business and environmental industrial groups proposes a new compromise. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

EPA: The EPA is finalizing a carbon rule for existing power plants, the Department of Energy projects electricity prices will rise in the coming decade, and Ohio lawmakers introduce a bill giving the state greater control over implementation of EPA rules. (Washington Post, Associated Press, Columbus Business First)

***SPONSORED LINK: Last chance to RSVP for Energy, Climate and Rural Minnesota’s Future, hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs, Thursday in St. Peter. We’ll discuss the impacts of climate change and solutions that will bring new opportunities to rural Minnesota.***

BIOENERGY: A Wisconsin project that uses agricultural waste to dramatically cut energy use at two facilities likely won’t be replicated because of a lack of clarity in state policy. (Midwest Energy News)

ALSO: An Iowa couple sue a biofuel company after corn stover bales stored near their home caught fire. (Des Moines Register)

OIL AND GAS:
• A judge rejects a claim that an 1855 treaty gives a Minnesota tribe say over a proposed pipeline route. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• North Dakota’s governor warns the oil industry that the state won’t tolerate flaring of natural gas: “those days are over.” (Associated Press)
Xcel Energy says it wants to tap into North Dakota’s natural gas market. (Fargo Forum)
• A North Dakota researcher says CO2 injection could increase the amount of recoverable oil from the Bakken. (Bismarck Tribune)

UTILITIES: The Department of Homeland Security says an unnamed U.S. utility’s control systems were recently hacked, and a Wisconsin utility will pay $50,000 in a dispute with regulators over whether turbine repairs at a natural gas plant triggered tougher pollution rules. (Reuters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

POLITICS: A group run by billionaire Tom Steyer plans to make climate change a central campaign issue in seven states, including Michigan and Iowa. (Los Angeles Times)

EFFICIENCY: A report commissioned by state regulators shows a Wisconsin efficiency program has delivered $3.41 in savings for every dollar spent., and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be in Detroit today to discuss the city’s LED streetlight project. (Wisconsin State Journal, Associated Press)

COAL: An Indiana coal mine will shut down, and environmental groups deliver petitions calling for Missouri’s governor to halt permits for coal ash dumps in floodplains. (Platts, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

TRANSPORTATION: A bill to increase gasoline taxes advances in Michigan, and an Illinois lawmaker proposes similar legislation. (CBS Detroit, Associated Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: What will the next 35 years of efficiency innovation look like? Join the Center for Energy and Environment on June 24 for our 35th Anniversary Technology Forum, featuring TED-style talks and a keynote by ACEEE Executive Director Steve Nadel.***

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Fiat Chrysler’s CEO explains why he doesn’t want you to buy one of his electric cars, and Airbus plans to introduce an electric two-seater airplane. (Reuters, Puget Sound Business Journal)

COMMENTARY: Is the value-of-solar tariff a “tax”? (The Energy Collective)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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